Traveling around America: Garner State Park, Concan Texas

Garner State Park is located at 234 RR 1050 Concan, TX 78838. It has swimming, hiking, picnics, canoeing, fishing, miniature golf, bike trails, dancing and more.

1. There is 2.9 miles of river to swim and fish in. It’s a great way to cool down from the Texas heat. They have rope swings on the sides of the river tied to the trees. Make sure you check the water for debris and make sure the rope is secured. This can be a lot of fun.

2. They have paddle boats, kayaks, inner tubes, tables, barbeque pits, heaters, fans, and small lockers to rent. Sometimes it’s better to put your valuables in the lockers that they have, for safer keeping.

3. There are a lot of trails but all of them intersect at some point, going from trail to trail. There is about 11 miles of hiking trails. Some of them have steep slopes and lose rocks, so make sure to use caution at all times. They have separated them into two sides but most of them are on the west side of the map you receive at the park entrance.

The longest trail is the Foshee Trail which has most of the sites to see:

Shady Oak
Crystal Cave
Painted Rock
Big Cedar
Dianes Patio
Georges Patio – Top of the mountain
Horshoe Foot Post

4. They have a lot of events to attend depending on when you go:

Interpretive hike – a guided and informational hike
Become a junior ranger – for kids on how to become a ranger and keep the environment safe
Geocaching – they provide the GPS and teach you how to use it
Nature Trail Scavenger Hunt – (more for kids) they give you a checklist to go through and find things on your hike and give you a prize at the end
Dancing – is on summer nights, be there before it gets full (about 8:30)

They have events almost all year around so make sure you check their site for events you want to attend. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/garner/park_events

5. They have plenty of campsites with water and electricity (99 sites). If you want, you can use their screened in shelters (16 sites). They even have cozy cabins with a fire place (13 sites) and without a fire place (4 sites). All sites are near restrooms that also have showers (makes sure to bring your own toilet paper).